Summary:
This analysis examines three public high schools serving grades 9-12 in Santa Ana, California (zip code 92705), revealing significant performance differences within the same community.
Foothill High in the Tustin Unified district stands out as the top performer, with the highest graduation rate (97.4%), lowest chronic absenteeism, and strongest test scores in English, math, and science, all while spending the least per student. In contrast, Century High in the Santa Ana Unified district faces greater challenges, with the lowest academic proficiency and highest chronic absenteeism despite having the highest per-student spending and most favorable student-teacher ratio. The charter school, Ednovate - Legacy College Prep., shows a mixed profile, achieving a graduation rate near 97% with no dropouts but struggling particularly with mathematics proficiency.
Key takeaways for parents include the notable disparity in outcomes between the two traditional school districts and the inverse relationship between funding levels and academic results in this area. Mathematics is a common area for improvement across all schools. While school size and resources vary, factors like attendance and district environment appear closely linked to student success, with Foothill High demonstrating consistently high performance over several years.
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